The Autumn Wind-Down: Give Your Evening a Softer Landing

There’s a point in September when I notice the evenings beginning to feel different.

The light disappears a little earlier. The windows get closed sooner. A cup of something warm starts sounding considerably more appealing than it did a few weeks ago. Here in our part of the world, today is beginning cloudy and damp, with brighter spells possible later before rain and gustier winds return tonight.

Autumn is arriving.

Rather than fighting that change, I think we can use it.

One of the simplest things we can do for our wellbeing at this time of year is create an evening wind-down ritual.

Nothing mystical. Nothing expensive. Just a clear signal that the busy part of the day has finished.

The Wellness Wheel After Dark

Sleep sits mainly within the physical part of our Wellness Wheel, but its influence doesn’t politely remain there. When we’re tired, everything from patience and concentration to motivation and social connection can feel harder.

The NHS recommends keeping regular sleeping and waking times and creating a relaxing routine before bed. It also suggests making the bedroom quiet, dark and cool and reducing things that can disturb sleep.

NHS advice for better sleep⁠

That doesn’t mean we need to turn bedtime into another wellbeing project with rules, gadgets and something else to fail at.

Mine can be much simpler.

Turn down the lights.

Put the phone away.

Make a warm drink.

Spend five minutes stretching.

Take a few slow breaths.

Read something that isn’t trying to sell me anything or make me angry.

And, where privacy and temperature allow, lose the clothes.

Naturism Doesn’t Have a Closing Date

This is where autumn naturism becomes interesting.

We sometimes talk about the end of the outdoor season as though somebody has switched naturism off until spring.

But naturism isn’t dependent upon the temperature reaching 25°C.

It’s how we live.

If September rain means I’m wearing clothes on my walk, that’s sensible rather than somehow less naturist. When I’m back inside a warm, private home, I can return to the way I’m naturally most comfortable.

And that can become part of the wind-down itself.

Clothes off. Heating sensible. Lights lower. Phone down.

The day’s armour comes off too.

I’m not claiming nudity improves sleep or treats insomnia; evidence doesn’t justify making that leap. I’m talking about something much more ordinary: comfort and ritual.

If being naturally unclothed at home is already part of your life, incorporating it into a quiet evening routine costs nothing and requires no special equipment.

Don’t Try Too Hard

There’s another bit of NHS sleep advice I particularly like: don’t force sleep.

If you’re lying awake, getting increasingly annoyed because you must fall asleep immediately, you’ve probably discovered how ineffective ordering yourself to sleep can be.

The NHS suggests getting up after roughly 20 minutes if you’re still awake, doing something relaxing such as reading, listening to quiet music or gentle yoga, and returning to bed when you feel sleepy.

Persistent sleep difficulties are different, of course. If poor sleep is affecting everyday life or causing distress, NHS guidance recommends seeking advice from a GP or pharmacist rather than simply struggling on.

For the rest of us, perhaps tonight doesn’t need another complicated solution.

Autumn is already encouraging the world outside to slow down.

Maybe we can take the hint.

What one thing could you remove from the final half-hour of tonight to make your evening quieter?